Kopié nan kòlè
Like Philadelphia’s own Parthenon, the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art sits majestically on a rise at the end of the city’s famous Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The vast collections in this temple of art make it one of the largest art museums in the country — and an absolute must-see on the city’s cultural circuit.
The museum’s holdings encompass more than 240,000 works spanning 2,000 years, including pieces from the ancient world, medieval times, the Renaissance, the Impressionist movement and modern day. On the same trip, visitors can check out:
World-renowned architect Frank Gehry led a major transformation of the attraction’s interior in recent years. A new north entrance opened in fall 2019, and new galleries, public spaces and exhibits opened in May 2021.
Vast collections of art from across the globe and through the ages — including Renaissance, American, East and South Asian, Impressionist and contemporary masterpieces — make the Philadelphia Museum of Art one of the most significant art museums in the country, while exhibitions, lively programs and an outdoor Sculpture Garden make it a cultural must-see.
Among the museum’s impressive holdings, standouts include a Rogier van der Weyden altarpiece, The Large Bathers by Cezanne, works from Philadelphia’s own Thomas Eakins, and Marcel Duchamp’s notorious mixed-media Bride Stripped Bare by her Bachelors (The Large Glass) displayed exactly as the dada master installed it.
Throughout, visitors breathe in other cultures and times through dozens of period rooms, including a medieval cloister and an Indian temple.
With the assistance of famed architect Frank Gehry, the museum underwent an ambitious renovation, revitalization and expansion in recent years to make the interior space more open and navigable for visitors.
The attraction’s north entrance — complete with a sky-lit vaulted walkway, store, espresso bar and more — opened to the public in September 2019.
The vaulted walkway in the museum's new north entrance space — Photo by Joseph Hu, courtesy the Philadelphia Museum of Art
In May 2021, the iconic attraction debuted the next round of renovations, completing the “Core Project” portion of the multi-year, multimillion-dollar project.
Dramatic changes include the opening up of spaces not seen by the public for decades and brand-new galleries to showcase the museum’s spectacular collection — all part of the attraction’s renewed commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
Nuria by Jaume Plensa, installed in the South Hall at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. — Photo courtesy the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Among the highlights of the Core Project:
The new Robert L. McNeil Jr. Galleries dedicated to American art between 1650 and 1850 comprise 10,000 square feet arranged around a spacious corridor and mirror a space for contemporary art — together, the largest expansion of gallery space in the museum’s main building since it opened in 1928.
The Williams Forum, facing west toward Lenfest Hall — Photo by Steve Hall © Hall + Merrick Photographers
The galleries explore immigration, colonialism, trade and underrepresented narratives and allow the museum to “completely rethink” how it tells the story of early American art by making room for a “bigger, more complicated” narrative.
Visitors also encounter more subtle changes that enhance their experience and underscore the museum’s renewed commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
Thoughtfully designed public spaces, wayfinding signs, updated lighting features and exposure to natural light reinforce the museum’s connection to the city and create a welcoming, approachable environment for first-time and infrequent visitors who might otherwise find the massive attraction intimidating.
Additionally, new ADA-compliant ramps make it easy for people who can’t use stairs to enter and move throughout the museum.
The museum’s east entrance was, of course, immortalized in the classic Wòchi film franchise. To this day, visitors jog up the steps to reenact Stallone’s famous scene and admire the view of the Parkway and the Philadelphia skyline from the top. Head to our page on the Wòchi statue and Wòchi steps to learn more.
Do your best impression of Rocky on the Rocky Steps (i.e. the steps leading up to the east entrance of the museum). — Foto pa J. Fusco pou Visit Philadelphia
Founded during the nation’s first centennial in 1876 as a museum of decorative arts, the Philadelphia Museum of Art soon outgrew its quarters in Fairmount Park’s Memorial Hall.
The Great Stair Hall in the Philadelphia Museum of Art — Photo courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art
Its current building, in the form of three linked Greek temples, opened in 1928. Julian Abele, one of the chief designers and the first African American graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s architecture school, was inspired by the temples he saw while traveling in Greece.
Tickets grant visitors two consecutive days of admission to the museum as well as to the Rodin Museum, which houses one of the largest public collections of Auguste Rodin’s works outside of Paris, including bronze casts of Moun k ap Panse a epi The Gates of Hell.
Rodin Museum, also located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway — Foto pa J. Fusco pou Visit Philadelphia
Bonus: On the first Sunday of the month, admission is pay what you wish, and on Friday evenings between 5 and 8:30 p.m., general admission tickets are only $15.
For more information on the Philadelphia Museum of Art and to buy tickets, click the button below.
La Visit Philly Overnight Package — rezève plis pase 190,000 fwa depi 2001 — vini ak pakin otèl gratis (ki vo jiska $100 nan Center City Philadelphia) ak lojman otèl pou yon nuit.
Ki kote pou kòmanse eksplorasyon ou nan gwo sèn kiltirèl vil la …
HT 
EN 
ES 
FR 
PT